Drinking-fountain.



C. E. KELLS, JR- DRINKING FOUNTAIN.

APPLICATION rum) MAR. 13, 1913.

1 ,072, 1 24. Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

IIIE FFICE.

CHARLES EDMUND KELLS, JR., OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

DRINKING-FOUNTAIN.

T 0 (iZ/f whom 1' i may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES EnMuNn Keats, Jr, a citizen of the United States, residing in New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in I)rinking-Fountains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drinking fountains of the class in which a small stream of water issues from a supply pipe in such manner that the mouth of the drinker may be applied to the stream and receive the water as it issues from the discharge orifice. Fountains of this class have heretofore been provided with shields surrounding the discharge orifice and the stream of water issuing therefrom, but it has been usual to cause the water to flow vertically upward and the shield, which is open at the top, often be comes contaminated or foul by falling leaves, droppings, etc. Such fountains have not been so constructed that they can be used as ordinary faucets for filling drinking glasses.

The object of my invention is to provide a drinking faucet of this class which is so constructed that when idle it may be protected from contamination and which can be so operated that it may be used either for drinking directly from the stream or for filling a drinking glass or other receptacle.

In carrying out my invention I employ a faucet having a suitable valve and a discharge orifice which is surrounded by a shield. A spring normally holds the valve member of the faucet in such position as to shut off the water supply and to hold the discharge orifice and the surrounding shield in an inverted position, i. 6., facing downward. By means of a suitable handle the faucet may be operated to raise the orifice and shield to such a position that the water supply may be turned on and the stream of water may issue at such an angle from the shield that it may enter the mouth of a drinker or it may be conveniently used for filling a drinking glass. The shield is so constructed and arranged that as the stream issues from the orifice it clears the walls of the shield and hence is not contaminated by anything that may be on it. Preferably also the stream of water issuing from a relatively small orifice is made to pass through a somewhat larger opening, which, however, is of such small dimensions that the finger,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13, 1913.

Patented Sept. 2,1913.

Serial No. 754,015.

tongue or lips cannot come in contact with any part which the water touches.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a drinking fountain embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing how the fountain may be used to till a drinking glass. Fig. -.l; is a detail view in section on the line -il;-'lof Fig. 2.

The water supply pipe A is provided with a coupling 1; containing a valve C em ployed for turning on and oil the water supply. The valve has a passage (2 adapted to con'mlunicate with the supply pipe and this passage communitaltes with another passage 0' passing out throi'igh the valve C. To the outer end of the valve l is attached a valve member I) having a passage (1 comnumicating with the passage 0. A transverse threaded recess (5 is formed in the member I) and into this recess is screwed a plug I) which is provided with a passage 0 communicating with the passage (1. of the plug 1G is enlarged and supports a shield F which is preferably made of sheet metal and is formed with an opening through which the plug extends. The plug, besides having the passage 6, is formed with a recess 0 of somewhat larger diameter than the passage. so that the stream of water X, shown in Fig. 3, may issue freely from the passage 0 but will not touch the walls of the recess a. In this way the hands, lips or tongue of the user which might be applied to the outer end of the plug I cannot come in contact with the inner wall of the recess which is tmiched by the stream of water X. The shield I may also be made of such length or depth as to prevent the lips, tongue or fingers of the user from coming in contact with the part of the plug l l touched by the water. The shield F at its inner end may be formed with discharge openings f.

The member I) is provided with a hand wheel G by means of which it may be operated to turn on or shut oil the water supply. Normally the water supply is shut off and the disclmrge orifice and shield are held in an inverted position, i. (2., facing downward as indicated in Fig. 2, and in order to turn on the water it is necessary to turn the valve until the shield and discharge orifice are in such position as to discharge the The outer end stream of water in an upwardly inclined direction, as indicated in Fig. 3.

In order to hold the valve closed and the shield inverted, I employ a spring H, one end of which is connected with the member D as indicated at h in Fig. 1 and the opposite end of which is connected with the coupling B at h as indicated in Fig. 2. In order to limit the rotary movement of the valve, I provide the latter with stops z, 2" which are adapted to strike against shoulders j, j formed on the coupling B. The arrangement is such that the spring H normally holds the shield and the discharge orifice facing downward, as shown in Fig. 2, with the water supply shut off. When the handle G is operated to turn the valve until the stop '5 strikes the stop j, the water will be turned on and one may drink directly from the stream or till a drinking glass, in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. The stream of water does not come in contact with the shield or with the outer part of the plug and when the parts are inverted as shown in Fig. 2, the discharge orifice and shield are protected.

I claim as my invention A drinking fountain, comprising a sup ply pipe, a valve having a discharge orifice, a shield surrounding the discharge orifice from which latter a stream of water issues and passes through the shield without commg in contact therewith, a spring for normally holding the valve closed and the shield in an inverted position, means for operating the valve to turn on the water supply and to raise the shield to an inclined position so that a stream of water may issue from the discharge orifice andpass through the shield without coming in contact therewith whereby the stream may be received directly by the mouth of thedrinker or may be used for filling a drinking glass and means limiting the movement of the valve to stop its rotation whenthe shield has reached said inclined position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES EDMUND KELLS, JR. WVitnesses:

SAMUEL H. MOAFEE, CHAS. J. RIVET.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

